This pressed sandwich couldn’t have been easier, especially considering that I had already made the pork the day before, and I didn’t want to waste a single tiny bit of that deliciousness. This particular recipe is taken over the top by the pickled pepper relish, which is insanely easy to make and so freakin’ good! Kramer and I put it on almost all of our food for a week after we made it – it’s a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and tangy, and goes wonderfully with the roasted pork, rich Fontina cheese, and, of course, my favorite, prosciutto. I pressed everything by just applying lots of weight (thanks to my French oven), because I don’t have a sandwich press, and let me tell you, it worked like a charm and I plan to press many, many more sandwiches using this method. Kramer and I devoured every bite of this, and I’m sure that you will, too.

Remove the stems from your peppers and add them to your food processor or blender.

Combine with the sugar and vinegar.

Pulse until finely chopped.

Store any extras in an air-tight container for up to a week – we put this stuff on just about everything; it’s so good!

Now it’s time to make your sandwiches.

Place a slice of cheese on one side of your bread, then top with your pork and relish, followed by the prosciutto and the rest of your cheese.

Press the sandwich with your sandwich press or makeshift sandwich press (I used a griddle and a heavy pot to press the sandwich down, flipping it halfway through) until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden.

*I made this sandwich with leftover pork for another 'wichraft recipe: Slow-Roasted Pork with Red Cabbage, Jalapenos, and Mustard.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Combine the caraway seeds, cloves, star anise, and peppercorns in a spice grinder/coffee grinder (or, if you are going the old fashioned way, a motar and pestle) and grind the spices together until they become a coarse spice rub.

Rub the pork well with the spice mixture, getting under the skin if you didn’t cut the skin off. Place the meat in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet with a cooling rack on top (like I did), and cover tightly with foil. Place in the oven for 4 hours, or until the meat is fork tender. Place the pork on a cutting board and slice or shred. Throw away any fat in the bottom of the pan.

Now, if you have a sandwich press to use with this, great - heat it up according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you don't, though, there are still a few options. I used my range griddle and then just put my heavy French oven on top of the sandwiches to press them down, but you can use anything similarly heavy, or just use a regular frying pan with something heavy on top - the grate marks on the sandwich look pretty, but they aren't necessary. Whatever you are using, just make sure that it's nice and hot. There is no need to butter the bread or your sandwich press - the heat will release the bread easily.

Place 1 slice of Fontina cheese on 4 slices of bread, then top it with the pork, relish, coppa or prosciutto, and the remaining slices of Fontina cheese. Cover with the remaining bread slices and place in the sandwich press or on your griddle or pan. Close the lid (or put your heavy pot on top) and apply a bit of pressure to the sandwich. Cook, without disturbing, for 5-8 minutes, until the bread is slightly golden and the cheese is nice and melted. I had to flip my sandwich halfway through cooking, as I wasn't using a true sandwich press, so take a look at yours and decide for yourself if flipping the sandwich is necessary. Slice in half and serve.

I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this cookbook! I love the recipes so far. He seems to put funky and traditional ingredients together to make a delicious blend of flavors, something I love doing with my own sandwiches. Can’t wait to see the other recipes you choose to post.

Great riff on a Cuban sandwich – really shows how you can tweak a classic to make something new and fabulous but grounded in solid tradition and technique. I’m going to get this cookbook one way or another…

[…] made the Slow-Roasted Pork with Red Cabbage, Jalapenos, and Mustard and the Roasted Pork and Prosciutto Sandwich with Pickled Pepper Relish, so this is the third installment in my ‘Wichcraft series. You can also like me on Facebook […]

[…] far, I’ve made the Slow-Roasted Pork Sandwich with Red Cabbage, Jalapenos, and Mustard, the Roasted Pork and Prosciutto Sandwich with Pickled Pepper Relish, the Meatloaf Sandwich, and I even used a few small side recipes from the book in my Salsa Verde […]

[…] made the Slow-Roasted Pork with Red Cabbage, Jalapenos, and Mustard and the Roasted Pork and Prosciutto Sandwich with Pickled Pepper Relish, so this is the third installment in my ‘Wichcraft series. You can also like me on Facebook […]